The Red Raiders have a new biggest fan. 12-year-old Zachary was invited to join the team for its annual spring game in Frisco and even scored a touchdown.
Football is Zachary’s passion, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation made sure to include the sport in his wish.
“I have always dreamed of being an NFL player,” said Zachary Parker, Wish Kid.
His experience with the Red Raiders started in the locker room.
“We were on a tour of one of the locker rooms. To the right, they had a locker for the two Wish Kids. He got a jersey with his name on the back and a helmet. It was an awesome moment,” said Elizabeth Parker, Zachary’s mom.
He got to spend time on the sidelines, talking to the players and coach Kliff Kingsbury.
Learning about the Texas Tech program and meeting the team was just an extension of his passion for football.
He wasn’t just hanging out on the sidelines, either.
“When I was on the field, one of the ladies came up to me and said, ‘They’re about to see if you want to run a play,’ and I said, ‘Sure, I’ll do it,'” said Zachary.
The pressure to score a touchdown wasn’t lost on Zachary.
“So when they told me I was going to do running, I was a little hasty. I was like, since I have one shot, I can’t mess up. I was scared and I didn’t know what to do. All I had to do was have confidence and I made it,” said Zachary.
After he made the touchdown, Zachary said being hoisted in the air felt amazing.
But, the celebration was not over yet. Zachary sat next to coach Kliff Kingsbury during the post-game news conference.
“Yes, that was cool. I mean, there was lots of cameras, so I’m not sure if I went onto any other news programs. Just to be interviewed, and then for coach Kingsbury to say he wants me on that team, it was incredible,” said Zachary.
All of this was thanks to the Make-A-Wish-foundation, which left more than an impression on Zachary.
“It’s changed his mindset of his condition. Not something bad, but something God gave him to deal with. It makes him special, and because of that he’s got to do lots of special things with Make-A-Wish,” Zachary’s mom said.
Texas Tech has successfully recruited a new student.
If you’d like to get involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, just give them a call at 806-785-9474.
